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Scared stiff
How do I help a husky who was a puppy mill breed dog who is completely shut down- hides, cowers, is silent, wore a bark collar, kept in a cage, not socialized.
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15 Replies
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Oh my goodness, @tammy , that poor creature. Will he take food from a person’s hand? I’d start just sitting on the floor, side turned, no eye contact, and just gently lob or hand feed food that way to begin building some trust. Does he show interest in other dogs? If so, a confident, social companion may be able to role-model for him and provide a wee bit of confidence.
I bet it would also be VERY helpful to consult with a vet who’s proficient with behavior meds and see about starting him on anti-anxiety meds.
So much work ahead, but getting him eating in proximity to a person is a good first step.-
He won’t eat food in front of anyone. It will eat it if they leave the room so I was going to use distance as the reinforcer.
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Yes, that form of negative reinforcement could be a really powerful tool. Let us know how it goes, @tammy !
Many years ago, I fostered a feral dog (who had been living in the woods with her mother and a littermate until 7 months of age). I was lucky that she felt very comfortable with my 5 dogs and they gave her a bit of confidence in my presence. But otherwise, I used that release of pressure (me adding distance) when she could simply hold her position as I did a small approach. In a short time, I was able to walk up to her completely, and then touch her, using this strategy. (Behavior meds made this go much more smoothly, too.) I used the same strategy with some flighty llamas.
You might want to do a search for an article by Barbara Heidenreich the constructional approach to dealing with extreme fear.
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Thank you. I will look up that paper
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I’m not sure how comfortable she is with other dogs but I will check that out.
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Oh poor pup! I once worked with a feral pup with these behaviors. Getting them on behavior meds was literally a life saver! I hope there’s a veterinarian you can work with?
I second Virginia’s comment that another dog (who won’t overwhelm her!) may be helpful too. My old gal Joy was super helpful to “pancaked” dogs when they came into the shelter where I used to work. She’d help them find their feet and trust people.
Please keep us posted!
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Thank you
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I met with her and her foster mom today. Her vet is going to do blood work and the. Prescribe Prozac if the blood work is okay. She stays under a table and never comes out if people are around. She does not take treats from your hand but will eat them if no one is present. We started working on using distance or decreasing pressure as a reinforcer for looking toward people. Currently she does not even look at people who are near her. She just “shrinks”. Any suggestions on what behaviors to target?
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Try picking a smaller behavior than looking at a person. Perhaps, the criterion could be that she just doesn’t “shrink.” You’ll have to discover what kind of distance she needs to be able to do that. At some point, perhaps you could select for an ear flicked in your direction, or air scenting, or ground sniffing.
Do you think her courage would be a bit better in a fenced yard, so it feels more open and spacious than indoors?
I hope medication will prove to be helpful ????
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We’re going to try outdoors next time. It was too windy today to be outside. She was doing a head turn and glance at me and I stepped away from her to reinforce that. I hope meds help too.
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Please keep us posted, @tammy !
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We were making some progress. Even made a little noise. A chihuahua attacked her and set her back a bit but not all the way. Slow but steady. I have another puppy mill dog, Boston terrier, that I’ve been able to coax to the edge of the crate but haven’t got her to come out. Any suggestions?
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Glad you’re making some progress with the husky, @tammy . Thanks for updating us!
Will the BT come out of the crate if alone in a room? Is the crate a wire mesh one, or an airplane style crate? (If airplane style, at some point you might consider adjusting the top piece to gradually create more open exposure from above.)
Will she come out if there’s a ton of distance between you and the crate?
Luring can sometimes create conflict — the dog may really want the treat, but approaching the person is very scary. Perhaps you can keep some distance (preferably seated on the floor) and sneakily observe the BT’s movement, no direct eye contact or face-to-face positioning. If she makes any forward movement in the crate, carefully lob a treat back into the crate, so she’s getting to retreat (relief) AND getting a treat. Gradually select for more forward motion. Do you think that might work?
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@tammy Great to hear you’re making progress. These dogs are so lucky to have your time and attention!
For the Boston, you didn’t mention how long you’ve had her. Sometimes these dogs just need more time. I might try using a small room so I can quickly leave. Leave the crate door open and when you feed her each meal, place it one inch closer to the crate door than you did before until one day the bowl is just outside the crate. Leave the area after you place the bowl. Then over several more days (if she’s eating the food), you can increase the distance. This way, you are separating your presence from the scary act of leaving the secure place. If the room is “dog-proofed” you may be able to entice some exploratory behavior when you are not there. You could eventually put the food around the room to encourage seeking behavior.
I’m sure there are many other ways to approach this and this is just one idea that may work if you have the right space and plenty of time.
Another dog (who isn’t scary!) may also be able to help her find her feet.
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Thank you for the feedback!
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